Method and apparatus for automatically attaching top stops to a continuous slide fastener chain

ABSTRACT

A method of automatically attaching two top stops simultaneously to each of successive portions of a continuous slide fastener chain in which the chain is intermittently fed in one direction to and past a working station at which portions of two wires fed from opposite sides to the working station are cut off, bent into U-shaped configuration and clamped on the facing edges of the two tapes of the chain while the tapes are deflected to bring the edges thereof in proper position for clamping the bent wire portions thereon. Before the bent wire portions are clamped onto the tape, the chain is moved for a short distance in the opposite direction to assure that the bent wire portions forming the top stops are clamped to the tapes adjacent to the endmost coupling elements of rows of coupling elements on the tape edges on each of the successive chain portions; and a fully automatic machine for carrying out the method.

United States Patent 1191 Perlman [75] Inventor: Morris Perlman, Brooklyn, N.Y.

[73] Assignee: Carbide Form Grinding, Inc.,

Brookyln, N.Y.

22 Filed: o1.4,1973 21 Appl. N0.;403,71s

[52] U.S. Cl. 29/207.5 ST, 29/408 [58] Field of Search29/207.5 ST, 207.5 R, 207.5 SL, 29/408 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/1968 Perlman 29/207.5 ST 11/1970 Perlman 29/207.5 ST

[4 1 Feb. 4, 1975 Primary Examiner-Thomas H. Eager Attorney, Agent, or FirmMichael S. Striker [57] ABSTRACT A- method of automatically attaching two top stops simultaneously to each of successive portions of a continuous slide fastener chain in which the chain is intermittently fed in one direction to and past a working station at which portions of two wires fed from opposite sides to the working station are cut off, bent into U-shaped configuration and clamped on the facing edges of the two tapes of the chain while the tapes are deflected to bring the edges thereof in proper position for clamping the bent wire portions thereon. Before the bent wire portions are clamped onto the tape, the chain is moved for a short distance in the opposite direction to assure that the bent wire portions forming the top stops are clamped to the tapes adjacent to the endmost coupling elements of rows of coupling elements on the tape edges on each of the successive chain portions; and a fully automatic machine for carrying out the method.

14 Claims, 14 Drawing Figures PATENTED 4|975 3.863.321

' SHEET 10F 8 PATENTED FEB M975 SHEET 2 0F 8 FIG. *2 ii PATENTED 41975 SHEET 3 OF 8 .IIIIL L m Z F w 7 7 0 v 1 -11-;

PATENTEDFEB Mars SHEET 5 OF 8 7 FIG. 6

FIG. 7

' 1 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR- AUTOMATICALLY A TTACI-IING TOP STOPS TO A CONTINUOUS SLIDE FASTEN'ER CHAIN BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A slide fastener usually consists of two parallel tapes adjacent to each other, rows of coupling elements connected to adjacent edges of the tapes, a slidermovable along the rows of coupling elements for engaging and disengaging thesame depending on the direction of movement of the slider, and a bottom stop connecting the two tapes at one end of the rows of coupling elements to each other. In order to prevent the slider to move beyond the other end of the rows of coupling elements, at least one, but preferably two, top stops are attached to the tape edges closely adjacent the coupling elements on the other end of the rows of coupling elements on the slide fastener.

Since slide fasteners'are sold for a few cents a piece, the manufacture of slide fasteners has lately been more and more automatized to reduce the manufacturing cost. At present such slide fasteners are produced by providing a more or less endless slide fastener chain comprising two tapes having rowsof coupling elements attached to the adjacent edges of a length'depending on the length of the desired individual slide fastener, so as to provide on each tape a plurality of successive portions having coupling elements attached to adjacent edges of the tape followed by portions of the tape in which the edges are free of coupling elements. Subsequently thereto bottom stops are attached at one end of each successive rows of coupling elements for con-.

necting the two tapes together at this end, and a slider is placed on each of the successive rows of coupling elements for engaging and disengaging the coupling portaching two top stops to successive portions of-a continuous slide fastener chainin which the two top stops are placed closely adjacent to the endmost coupling elements of rows to coupling elements provided on the successive portions of the slide fastener chain.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide such an automatic machine which is composed of relatively few and simple parts so that the machine can bebuilt at reasonable cost and will stand up perfectly after extended use.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent as the description proceeds, the present invention relates to an automatic top stop attaching machine for automatically and simultaneously attaching two top stops to each of successive portions of a continuous slide fastener chain which comprises two tapes, bottom stops connecting said two tapes at longitudinally spaced portions to each other, rows of interengageable coupling elements provided on facing edges on the tapes extending from each bottom stop toward but short of the following bottom stop, and a slider on each of said rows of coupling elements for engaging and disengaging the same'and providing between the slider and the following bottom stop a gap at which the tape portions are disconnected from each other, which machine comprises means for feeding the slide fastener chain intermittently in one direction and substantially in a plane to and past a working station, means for feeding two wires from opposite sides to the working stations, combined cutting, bending and clampingmeans at the working station for cutting off portions from the tions of the same. Machines are already known in the art which carry out the aforementioned operations in a fully automatic manner, but the subsequent attachment of the necessary top stops in an automatic manner to a continuous chain has encountered considerable difficulties. Heretofore, it was the practice to cut the continuous slide fastener chain, before attaching the top stops thereto, into individual slide fastener portions, and the upper end'of each tape wasthen' manually introduced into a top stop attaching machine at which, while the-operator placed the respective tape end by hand into the top stop attaching machine, two top stops were successively attached to the respective end closely adjacent to the endmost coupling element on the tape. This necessary manual operation evidently increased the cost of the final product.

Attempts have already been made to attach topstops fully automatically to successive chain portions of a more or less endless slide fastener chain after the other above-mentioned other components had been provided thereon, but such machines have not worked out very satisfactorily in practice.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION two wires, for bending the cut-off wire portions into U- shaped configuration, for holding the same in a predetermined position and for subsequently clamping the bent wire portions onto edges of the tapes closely adjacent to the coupling elements on one end of the rows of coupling elements, means for reciprocating the combined cutting, bending andclamping means in a direction transverse tosaid one direction, meansfor deflecting the tape inthe region of the attaching station for bringing the facing edges thereof in proper position for clamping the bent wire portions thereon, means for moving the chain longitudinally in direction opposite to said one direction to bring the coupling elements on the one end of the rows of coupling elements closely adjacent to the bent wire portions before the latter are clamped to the edges of the tapes, and control means for automatically actuating the aforementioned means in proper sequence. v

The combined cutting, bending and clamping means may comprise a pair of stationary dies spaced from eachother in a direction transverse to the chain feeding direction andhaving each a cutting edge, punch means movable between the stationary dies and having a pair of cutting edges cooperatingwith the cutting edges of the dies for cutting off a portion of each wire, a retractable anvilbetween the dies and having a pair of transversely spaced portions projecting in the path of the punch means and cooperating with the latter for bending-the cut-off wire portions into U-shaped configuration, and clamping means on the punch means for holding the bent wire portions in fixed position while the chain is movedinopposite direction, for then clamping the bent wire portions onto the edges of the tapes and for subsequently releasing the clamped wire portions so that the chain may again be fedin the one direction.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THEDR AWING FIG. 1 is a side view of the machine according to the present invention with certain elements of the machine omitted for clarity reason;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the essential elements of the machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 2a is a top view of a detail shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 2 is apartially sectioned side view of part of the machine and showing especially the combined cutting, bending and clamping means as well as part of the deflecting means;

FIG. 4 is an end view, partly in section, of the element shown in FIG. 3 showing the elements before cutoff and bending the wireportions;

FIG. 5 is a top view ofa chain portion and related elements in position when the other elements of the machine are in the position as shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an end view similar to FIG. 4 showing the various elements after cut-off and bending of the wire portions; FIG. 7 is a top viewsimilar to FIG. 5 showing the chain and related machineelements in position corresponding to the position of the elements of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an end view similar to FIG. 6 and showing the various machine elements in a position in which the wire portions have been bent to U-shaped configuration ready for inserting adjacent tape edges there into;

FIG. 9 is a top view of the slide fastener chain similar to- FIG. 7 showing the chain and related machine elements in positions corresponding to the position of the chain and machine elements of FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is an end view similar to that shown in FIG. 8 and showing the machine elements in position in which the tape edges are inserted into the bent wire portions, forming the top stops, and the latter are clamped on the tape edges;

FIG. 11 is a top view of the chain similar to that shown in FIG. 9 and showing the chain and related machine elements in position according to the position of the machine elements in FIG. 10;

FIG. 12 is a cross-section taken along the line 12-12 of FIG. 10 and drawn to enlarged scale; and

FIG. 13 is a wiring diagram illustrating various switches, relays and other components for automatically controlling the sequence of operation of the automatic top stop attaching machine.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawing and more specifically to FIGS. 1 and 2 of the same, it will be seen that the automatic top stop attaching machine according to the present invention comprises means, or a unit, 1 for feeding a continuous slide fastener chain 2 intermittently in the direction of the arrow shown in FIG. 1 to and past a working station WS of the machine. A portion of the slide fastener chain 2 to be fed is, for instance, shown in FIG. 5 and the chain comprises two tapes T arranged closely adjacent and parallel to each other and having on the facing edges of successive chain portions rows of interengageable coupling elements C attached, and a slider S moveable along the rows of coupling elements of each chain portion to engage and disengage the coupling portions thereof. At one end of the rows of coupling elements of each chain portion there is provided a bottom stop BS, whereas the endmost coupling elements C, at the other end of each row of coupling elements are spaced a certain distance from the next-following bottom stop 88,. If the slider S is in the position as shown in FIG. 5 between two bottom stops, there is provided a gap G between the two tapes in which the adjacent edges of the tapes are spaced and disconnected from each other.

The machine includes further means 3, of known construction and only partially indicated at FIG. 2, for feeding two wires w from a pair of wire reels 5, from opposite sides to the working station WS. Only one of the reels 5 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and the reels are turnably mounted on the machine frame in any convenient manner. In addition, the machine comprises combined cutting, bending and clamping means 4 at the working station for cutting off portions from the two wires w, for bending the cut-off wire portions into U- shaped configuration, for holding the same in a predetermined position and for subsequently clamping the bent wire portions onto edges of the tapes T closely adjacent to the endmost coupling elements C of rows of coupling elements provided on each of the successive chain portions. Drive means 5 are-provided for reciprocating the combined cutting, bending and clamping means 4 in a direction substantially normal to the direction the tape 2 is fed through the working station. In addition, the machine comprises means 6 for deflecting the two tapes T in the region of the working station WS for bringing the facing edges of the two tapes in proper position for clamping thebent wire portions thereof, and means 7 for moving the chain longitudinally in a direction opposite to the direction as indicated by the arrow to bring the coupling elements C closely adjacent to the bent wire portions before the latter are clamped to the edges of the tapes. The aforementioned means or elements of the top stop attaching machine are automatically actuated in proper sequence by control means which will be described later on in detail.

The tape feeding means 1 for intermittently feeding the continuous slide fastener chain 2 in the direction as indicated by the arrow x comprises as best shown in FIG. 2, an electromotor 8 mounted in any convenient manner on the frame of the machine, a pulley 9 on the output shaft of the motor 8 driving over a belt 10 a larger pulley 11 mounted on a shaft 110, which in turn turnably mounted in a block 12 on the machine frame. The shaft lla carries on the end opposite to the end on which the pulley 11 is mounted a roller 13. A roller 14, preferably a rubber-roller, is provided above the roller 13. The roller 14 is fixed to a shift 14a turnably and tiltably mounted in the aforementioned block. For tilting the roller 14 away from the roller 13 the shaft 14a is mounted eccentrically on the eccentric ,15 turnably mounted on the block 12 and a lever 16 projecting from the periphery of the eccentric is arranged to be engaged by an end portion of a solenoid S mounted on the block 12 in any convenient manner, so that by energizing the solenoid S the roller 14 will be moved away from the roller 13, permitting a slide fastener chain, passed between the peripheral surfaces of the two rollers, to slip with regard to the driven roller 13.

opposite sides to the working station WS are known per se and do not form part of the present invention and therefore these feeding means are only in part shown in FIG. 2. Each of the feeding means 3 may comprise a double-armed lever 17 only partially shown in FIG. 2 carrying at the upper end a follower roller 18 and being pivoted between the ends thereof in a manner not shown in the drawing on the machine frame. The lower end of each lever 17 may comprise a feed pawl constructed in a manner known per se and as for instance more clearly described in my US. Pat. No. 3,415,293 for feeding a wire w from a wire reel 5, during tilting of the lever 17 in one direction, to the working station WS, while a holding pawl connected to the machine frame prevents return of the wire during tilting of the lever 17 in the opposite direction. The following rollers 18 on the levers l7 cooperate with an element of the combined cutting, bending and clamping means 4 in the manner as will be described later on.

The combined cutting, bending and clamping means 4 comprises a pair of stationary dies 19 arranged spaced from each other in a direction transverse to the chain feeding direction, punch means 20 reciprocably arranged between the dies l9'and cooperating with the latter for cutting off portions of the wire w fed by the feeding means to the working station and a retractable anvil 21 between the dies 19 and cooperating with the punch means 20, in the manner as will be described later on, for bending the cutoff wire portions into U- shaped configuration. Each of the dies 19 comprises, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, a plate-shaped block 19a and an integral portion 19b of smaller height and thickness than the block 19a and projecting therefrom toward the other die. The block 190 is formed with an 27 by pivot pins 29 in the region of the upper ends of the levers. Each of the levers 28 has an elongated inner portion 30 and an elongated outer portion 31 integral therewith and having a thickness smaller than the inner portion. The inner portion 30 of greater thickness ends in a blade-shaped portion 30a having anouter side face 30!) adapted to slide during operation of the machine, as will be described later on, on the side face 25 of the respective die 19 and ending in a cutting edge 30' adapted to cooperate with the cutting edge 26 on the respective die to cut off a wire portion fed through the die passage 24 and protruding beyond the side face 25 of the die. The inner side face 30 c of the blade-shaped portions 30a cooperates in a manner as will be described later on with the retractable anvil 21 to bend the cut-off wire portion into U-shaped configuration and to subsequently clamp the bent wire portion onto the edge of the respective tape T. The portion 31 of reduced thickness of each lever 28 has at its lower end a narrowed extension 31a and the outer side face 31b of the portion 31 is provided at the junction of the extension 31a with the remainder of the portion 31 with a cam face 31', for the purpose as will be described later on. A pair of compression springs 32 are sandwiched between the levers 28 and the elongated tongue 27b on the bar 27 to bias the two levers 28 about their pivot pins 29 in outward direction so that the side faces'30b tween the cooperating cutting edges 30' and 26 of the levers 28 and the dies 19 will provide a component elongated slot therethrough through which a screw exthis passage. The passage 24 ends at the front face 25 v of the extension 19b and forms at thelower edges of the passage a cutting edge 26 on the front face 25 of each die.

The punch means 20 of the combined cutting, bending and clamping means 4 comprise ana elongated bar 27 guided for reciprocating movement in verticaldirection on the machine frame and provided on its upper end with a'pair of oppositely inclined bevelled surfaces 27a cooperating with the roller followers 18 of the wire feed means 3 for moving the levers 17 during upward movement of the bar 27 to feed the wires w in the direction as indicated by the arrows a in FIG. 4. The bar 27 is in its lower portion and on the sides thereof facing the retractable anvil 21 formed with a pair of elongated cutouts 27a, separated by an elongated tongue 27b integral with the bar, which has a thickness equal to the thickness of the upper bar portion. Two levers-28 are respectively located in the aforementioned cutouts 27a. The levers 28 are pivotably connected to the bar which presses the side faces 30b of the blade-shaped portions 300 of the levers 28 against the corresponding side faces 25 of the dies and therefore the respective cutting edges 30 and 26 against each other to obtain a perfect cut of the wire portions. Means in form of an elongated block 33 are fixedly connected by screws or the like, as shown in FIG.'3, to 'the'bar 27 between the blade-shaped portions 30a of the two levers 28. The block 33 abuts with an upper face thereof against the lower face of the elongated tongue 27b and this block is provided at its lower end with a cam face 33', best shown in FIG. 3, for a purpose as will be described later on. The block 33 is provided on its side faces with longitudinally extending grooves 33", as best shown in FIG. 12 and corresponding grooves 30 are provided on the side faces 300 of the levers 28 for holding and guiding cut-off and bent wire portions therebetween.

Thedie blocks 19 are mounted on the machine frame in such a manner that the bottom faces thereof engages the planar top face of a block 34 likewise connected in any convenient manner to the machine frame. The block 34 has on a front face thereof, shown in FIG. 2 as a right face, a stepped cutout 35 which provides two faces 36 set back from the front face 37 of the block 34. Actually, the front faces 37 of the block 34 are'provided on two plates 38 connected to the main portion of the block by screws or the like, not shown in the drawing. The faces 36 are provided with grooves 39, as

' best shown in FIG. 4, and two rollers 40 are respectively provided in the grooves laterally projecting in part beyond the' plates 38 and held by screws 41 threaded in corresponding bores of the block 34 and abutting with the inner ends against peripheral portions of the rollers 40 against movement away from each other. The rollers 40 form cam means adapted to cooperate with the cam faces 31 on the levers 28 to tilt the levers about the pivot pins 29 against the force of the compression springs 32 during downward movement of the bar 27, as will be described later on in detail. The bar 27 is also provided with a pair of stops 42 limiting the outward movement of the levers 28 under the force of the compression springs 32.

The retractable anvil 21 is mounted on the upper surface of the block 34 movable in longitudinal direction. The anvil 21 is provided at its rear or left end, as viewed in FIG. 3, with a downwardly extending extension 21a limiting its movement towards the right, as viewed in FIG. 3, under the influence of a compression spring 43 abutting against the rear end of the anvil, in such a manner that the front face or right face of the anvil, as.

viewed in FIG. 3, is aligned with a corresponding face of the block 33 mounted on the elongated bar 27. The anvil 21 is provided on its right face, as viewed in FIG. 3, with a central projection 44 (see also FIG. 4) which has an upper curved cam face 44a adapted to cooperate with a cam face 33 on the block 33, in the manner as will be described later on, and this projection 44 has a pair of opposite side faces 4412' (FIG. 4) serving as stops for the wire portions fed in the direction of the arrows a through the passages 24 of the dies 19. The retractable anvil is further provided to opposite sides of the projection 44 with a pair of projecting portions 45 having upper curved faces and upwardly spaced from the projecting portions 45 with a pair of knock-out pins 46 The means for reciprocating the punch means 20 in vertical direction comprise a motor 47 having an output shaft to which a pulley 48 of small diameter is connected which drives over a belt 49 a pulley 50 of larger diameter turnably-mounted in any convenient manner on the machine frame and having a clutch ring 51 operatively connected thereto which is secured to the main shaft 54 of the machine. The main shaft 54 carries on its end opposite from the clutch ring 51 a crank arm 55 having an eccentric pin 56 pivotally connected to a link 57 which on the other end is connected to a pin 58 projecting from the elongated bar 27, as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. Two axially displaced lugs 52 and 53 project radially from the peripheral surface of the clutch ring 51- circumferentially spaced from each other through an angle or, shown in FIG. 2, which is approximately 150. The lugs 52 and 53 are also axially displaced and adapted to cooperate with a bumper bar 61 pivotally mounted at one end for tilting about a pivot pin 62, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 2a between the full line and the dotted line position as shown in 2a. It is to be understood that the bumper bar 61 is mounted adjacent the peripheral surface of the clutch ring 51 in such a manner that when the bumper bar 61 is in the full-line position asshown in FIG. 2a the lug 52 will engage in the cutout 63 of the-bumper bar so as to stop the rotation of the shaft 54, whereas when the bumper bar 61 is in dotted line position the lug 53 will be engaged in the cutout 63. A compression spring 65 engages one side face of the bumper bar 61 to bias the latter to the full line position as shown in FIG. 2a and the opposite direction by means of a solenoid S, connected to the other end of the bumper bar by a link 64. The shaft 54 is further provided with two cams 59 and 60 adapted to cooperate with actuating portions of two microswitches M and M mounted on the machine frame in any convenient manner.

The means for upwardly deflecting the tapes T in the region of the working station for bringing the facing edges of the tapes T in proper position for clamping the bent wire portions forming the top stops thereon comprise, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, an elongated bar 67 arranged parallel and spaced from the bars 27 of the punch means and having at the lower end thereof a transverse portion 67a from which an arm 68, connected thereto in any convenient manner, projects towards the left, as viewed in FIG. 2. Two deflecting fingets 69 and 70 project, spaced from each other, up-

wardly from the arm 68 and each of these fingers has a bevelled top face. Cooperating means in the form of racks 71 and 72 are respectively fixedly connected to the bars 27 and 67 by screws or the like and a pinion 73 turnably-mounted on the machine frame has teeth respectively engaging the teeth of the racks 71 and 73 so that, during movement of the bar 27 in downward direction, the bar 67 of the deflecting means is moved in upward direction and vice versa.

The machine includes further means forming a unit 7 for moving the chain longitudinally in direction opposite to the direction indicated by the arrow x, when the upper roller 14 is lifted from the roller 13, to bring the coupling elements C, on one end of the rows of coupling elements provided on the two tapes closely adjacent to the cut-off and bent wire portions before the latter are finally clamped to the tape edges. The unit 7 comprises a substantially upright finger 74 adapted to project with its upper end into the gap G between a slider S and the bottom stops BS of a chain portion. The finger 74 is guided between a roller 80 connected to the actuating element of a microswitch M and engaging one-edge of the finger and another roller 81 engaging the other finger edge. The roller 81 is guided bebumper bar may be tilted about the pivot pin 62 in the tween guide elements 8.2 and pressed against the other finger edge by a compression spring 84, as' shown in FIG. 2. The lower end of the finger 74 is pivotally connected by a link 75 to a substantially horizontally extending double armed lever 76 which is pivotally mounted intermediate its ends on a pin 77. The other end of the lever 76 is connected by a link 78 to the movable core 79 of a solenoid S while a tension spring 76a biases the lever 76 in counter clockwise direction about the pin 77. The aforementioned elements are combined to a unit connected to a block provided with a longitudinal slot 86, as shown in FIG. 1, so as to be adjustable in longitudinal direction of the chain 2 by means of an adjusting screw 88, whereby the position of the finger 74 may be adjusted relative to the punch means 20.

As shown in FIG. 2 the machineincludes further a pair of guide blocks and 91 having upper faces for guiding the chain in longitudinal direction. The guide block 90 is provided at its right end, as viewed in FIG.

2, with a slot 92 through which the upper portion of the gaging with the lower face thereof the top face of a slide fastener chain and a corresponding pressure block 95 is provided on the guide block 91. Each of the pressure blocks has a rearward extension pivotally mounted in any convenient manner not shown in the drawing on the machine frame. A proximity switch 96, schematically shown in FIG. 2, is provided on the pressure block 94.

The operation 'of the machine will now be described on hand of FIGS. 4-11 and the wiring diagram shown in FIG. 13.

At the start of the operation the motors 47 and 8 are energized.

The punch means, that is the elongated bar 27 and the levers 28 pivotally mounted thereon, are in theupper position 4 and the deflecting means, including the bar 67 and the fingers 69 and 70 connected thereto,

are in their down positions, as shown in FIG. 4. The contact of the microswitch M is in the dotted line position as shown in FIG. 13 so that current flows from the main L through the conductor 105, through the microswitch M the normally closed contacts 201 of the relay R the normally closed contacts 301 of the relay R through the adjustable resistor, to the rectifier and to the main L so that a coil-S of a magnetic clutch incorporated in the belt drive from the motor 8 to the shaft 11a, for instance between the pulley 11 and the aforementioned shaft is energized and the roller 13 is driven. The roller 14 is in its operative position so that the chain is fed in the direction of the arrow x. The two wires w are in the position as shown in FIG. 4 that is the ends of the two wires will abut against the side faces 44b of the clamped portion 44 of the retractable anvil 21. The bumper bar 61 is in the dotted line position as shown in FIG. 2a and the lug 53 of the clutch ring 51 is engaged in the notch 63 of the bumper bar. The main shaft 54 is therefore prevented from rotation. The finer 74 is in its up position and extends into the gap G between the slider S and a bottom stop BS As the chain' is pulled in the direction of the arrow x the bottom stop BS will engage the upper end of the finger 74 and tilt the latter in clockwise direction so as to disengage the left edge of the finger, as viewed in FIG. 2, from the operating portion 80 of the microswitch M and the contact of the microswitch will move to the position shown in full line in FIG. 13. This deenergizes the coil S of the magnetic clutch of the belt drive from the motor 8 to the roller 13 and feeding of the chain in the direction of the arrow x will stop.

When the contact of the microswitch M is in the full line position, as shown in FIG. 13, the solenoids 5, connected to the bumper bar 61 will be energized over the conductor 106 and the normally closed contact 102 of the relay R so that the bumper bar will be moved from the dotted line position shown in FIG. 2a to the full line position, the lug 53 will be released and the pulley 50 will be rotated by the motor 47 in the direction as indicated by the arrow on this pulley in FIG. 2 and the main shaft 54 will be rotated until the lug 52 engages in the notch 63 of the bumper bar 61, that is the shaft 54will be rotated through the angle or approximately 150, that is less than half a revolution. The punch means 20 will thereby be moved by the crank means 55-58 in downward direction first to the positionv as shown in FIG. 6, in which the cutting edges 30' on the lower ends of the lever portions 30a have cooperated with the cutting edges 26 on the dies 19 to cut portions W from the two wires w and to bend these cut-off portions over the projections 45 of the retractable anvil to the configuration as shown in FIG. 6. The punch means 20 still move further downward to the position shown in FIG. 8 in which the cut-off wire portions are further bent while at the same time the cam face 38 on the block 33 engages the cam face 44a of the projection 44 of the retractable anvil 21 and moves the latter rearwardly, to the left as viewed in FIG. 3, against the force of the spring 43. The U-shaped wire portions are now held in the grooves 33" of the block 33 and the corresponding grooves 30 of the lever portions 30a as shown in FIG. 12. During the downward movement of the punch means 20 the deflecting means, including the bar 67 and the fingers 69 and 70 connected thereto, move in upward direction so that when the punch means reach the position as shown in FIG. 8 the two tapes T will be partly deflected in upward direction as shown in this Figure.

When the various elements reach the position as shown in Fig. 8 further revolution of the main shaft 54 is stopped by engagement of the lug 52 into the notch 63 of the bumper bars 61 and at the same time, or slightly before, the cam 59 engages the operating portion of the microswitch M and the contact thereof is moved from full line position, as shown in FIG. 13, to the dotted line position. Current will now flow through the conductor 107 to the solenoid S to thereby lift the upper roller 14 away from the lower roller 13 of .the chain drive, the chain will be released, and the finger 74 will tilt under the influence of the spring 84 in counterclockwise direction, moving thereby the coupling elements C, at the end of the rows of coupling elements against the cut-off and bent wire portions W. When M -moves to the dotted position, current will also flow through conductor 108 to relay R to energize the latter so that contact 202 will be closed and contact 201 will be opened. Thereby the relay R will remain energized after M returns to the solid line position. As the finger tilts in counterclockwise direction the contact of the microswitch M is moved to the dotted line position and the solenoid S is deenergized so that the bumper bar 61 moves under the influence of the spring 65 again to the dotted line position as shown in FIG. 2a. This frees the lug 52 from the notch 63 of the bumper bar and the main shaft 54 will therefore turn through the remaining part of a full revolution. During this remaining part of the full revolution of the main shaft the punch means will first move further downwardly, from the position shown in FIG. 8 to the position shown in FIG. 10, while the deflecting means move upwardly likewise to the position shown in FIG. 10 and during downward movement of the punch means the cam faces 31 on the levers 28 will engage the peripheral faces of the rollers 40 to thereby tilt the levers about the pivot pins 29 in the direction toward each other to positively clamp the bent wire portions onto the tape edges which in the meantime have been deflected by the upwardly moving deflecting means to the position as shown in FIG. 10. Subsequently thereto the punch ted line position so that current will pass from the main L through the conductors 109 and 110, through the relay R and to the main L Energizing of the relay R, will close the normally open contact 103 so that current will flow from L through the now closed contact 103, the closed contact 302, the conductor 110 through the relay R to the main L whereby the relay R remains energized after the contact of the microswitch M moves back to the full line position. The current also passes from L through the microswitch contact M the normally closed contacts 201 and 301 to the rectifier and the coil 8., so that the roller 13 is again driven.

When the switch M was for an instant moved to the dotted line position, the relay R became deenergized so that the normally open contact 202 opened and the normally closed contact 201 closed thereby energizing the coil 8., of the magnetic clutch.

As soon as the relay R, as been energized the normally closed contact 104 opens and the time delay relay TD is deenergized so that the normally closed contact 401 operated by the relay TD closes so that current will pass from L, through the conductor 111 through the solenoid coil S moving thereby the core 79 of the solenoid upwardly, to thereby tilt the lever 76 in clockwise direction which in turn pulls the finger 74 downwardly and out of the gap G. The pull rolls l3 and 14 pull now the chain again in the direction of the arrow x and as soon as a slider S passes the proximity switch 96 the coil of the relay R is demagnetized and the contact 302 operated by the relay R opens which in turn deenergizes the relay R This in turn will cause the normally closed contact 104 to move to its closed position energizing thereby the time delay relay TD. After 50-100 milliseconds the contact 401 will open and the solenoid 8;, becomes again demagnetized. Therefore, the levers 76 will move under the influence of the tension spring 76a in counterclockwise direction so that the finger 74 moves upwardly again in the following gap G. The chain is still moving so that the next bottom stop will engage the upper end of the finger which in turn will move the microswitch M to the full line position shown in FIG. 13 so that the magnetic clutch S will become deenergized, while the solenoid S is energized and the cycle is repeated.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of top stop attaching machines differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a machine for simultaneously attaching two top stops in a fully automatic manner to each of successive portions of a continuous slide fastener chain it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features thatyfrom the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims:

1. Automatic top stop attaching machine for attaching two top stops to each of successive portions of a continuous slide fastener chain which comprises two tapes, bottom stops, connectingg the two tapes at longitudinally spaced portions to each other, rows of interengaging coupling elements provided on facing edges of the tapes, and a slider on each of the portions for engaging and disengaging the coupling elements and providing between the sliderand the following bottom stop a gap in which the tape portions are disconnected from each other, said machine comprising means for feeding the slide fastener chain intermittently in one direction and substantially in one plane to and past a working station; means for feeding two wires from opposite sides to said working station; combined cutting, bending and clamping means at said working station for cutting off portions from the two wires, for bending the cut-off wire portions into substantially U-shaped configuration, for holding the same in a predetermined position and for subsequently clamping the bent wire portions onto edges of said tapes closely adjacent to the coupling elements on one end of the rows of coupling elements; means for reciprocating said combined cutting, bending and clamping means in a direction transverse to said one direction; means for deflecting the tapes in the region of said working station for bringing the facing edges thereof in proper. position forclamping the bent wire portions thereon; means for moving the chain longitudinally in a direction opposite to said one direction to bring the coupling elements on said one end of said rows of coupling elements closely adjacent to said bent wire portions before the latter are clamped to the edges of said tapes; and control means for automatically actuating the aforementioned means in pproper sequence.

2. An automatic top stop machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said combined cutting, bending and clamp-.

ing means comprise a pair of stationary dies arranged spaced from each other in a direction transverse to the chain feeding direction and having each a cutting edge, punch means movable between said stationary dies and having a pair of cutting edges cooperating with said cutting edges of the die for cutting off a portion of each wire, a retractable anvil between said dies and having .a pair of transversely spaced portions projecting in the path of said punch means and cooperating with the latter for bending the cut-off'wire portions into U-shaped configuration, and clamping means on said punch means for holding said bent wire portions in fixed position while the chain is moved in said opposite direction, for then clamping the bent wire portions onto said edges of said tapes and for subsequently releasing the clamped wire portions so that the chain may again be fed in said one direction.

3. An automatic top stop attaching machine as defined in claim 2, wherein said punch means comprises an elongated bar having an upper and a lower end, means fixedly connected to the bar in the region of the lower end, and a pair of clamping members mounted on said bar transversely spaced from said fixedly connected means and movable toward and away therefrom.

4. An automatic top stop attaching machine as defined in claim 3, wherein said means fixedly connected to the bar comprises anelongated block extending in the longitudinal direction of the bar and being centrally arranged in the region of the lower end thereof, and wherein said clamping members comprise a pair of clamping levers arranged spaced from and to opposite sides of said block and each connected in the region of its upper end to said bar for pivotable movement about a pivot axis extending normal to said bar and each having at the lower end a cutting edge arranged for cooperation with the cutting edge of the respective stationary die.

5. An automatic top stop attaching machine as defined in claim 4, and including spring means biasing said clamping levers about the pivot aces thereof in a direction away from said block, stop means on said bar for limiting outward movement of said levers, a cam face on each lever, and cam means arranged for engaging said cam faces after the wire portions have been cut and bent for pivoting said clamping levers, against the force of said spring means, from a cutting position in which side faces of said levers having said cutting edges on the lower ends thereof engaging corresponding side faces of said dies, towards said block to clamp the bent wire portions on the edges of the tapes.

6. An automatic top stop attaching machine as defined in claim 5, wherein the pivot axes of said two clamping levers are spaced from each other a distance which is smaller than the distance between the cutting edges on said levers in the cutting position thereof.

7. An automatic top stop attaching machine as defined in claim 4, wherein said retractable anvil is movable between a forward active position and a rearwardly retracted inactive position, and including spring means for yieldably holding said anvil in said active position, and cooperating cam faces on said block and said anvil for moving the latter to said retracted position during downward movement of said punch means.

8. An automatic top stop attaching machine as defined in claim 1, and including means for moving said deflecting means during reciprocation of said combined cutting, bending and clamping means in a direction opposite thereto.

9. An automatic top stop attaching machine as defined in claim 4, wherein said deflecting means comprises a second elongated bar extending parallel to said bar of said punch means, and arm projecting from the lower end of said second bar in said one direction, and a pair of upwardly projecting deflecting fingers arranged on said arm in line with said block and spaced from each other in said one direction, each of said deflecting fingers having a bevelled upper face.

10. An automatic top stop attaching machine as defined in claim 9, and including cooperating means connected to said bars for moving said second bar in upward direction during downward movement of the first mentioned bar and vice versa.

11. An automatic top stop attaching machine as defined in claim 10, said cooperating means comprising a rack on each bar and a pinion turnable about a fixed axis meshing with the teeth on each rack.

12. An automatic top stop attaching machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for intermittently feeding said chain in said one direction comprise a pair of rollers arranged to opposite sides of said chain, means for driving one of said rollers, and means for moving the other of said rollers toward and away from said one roller and in and out of engagement with said chain.

13. An automatic top stop attaching machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for moving said chain in said opposite direction comprises a finger movable into said gap to engage a bottom stop following said gap during feeding of said chain in said one direction, and means for moving the finger while in engagement with said bottom stop in said opposite direction so as to move the coupling elements at the ends of the rows of the coupling elements into close proximity to said bent wire portions.

14. A method of automatically attaching two top stops simultaneously to successive portions of a continuous slide fastener chain comprising the steps of intermittently feeding the chain in one direction to and past a working station; feeding two wires from opposite sides to said working stations; cutting off a portion from each wire and bending the cut-off wire portion into U- shaped configuration; holding each of the bent wire portions in a predetermined position; deflecting the inner edges of two tapes forming the chain so as to lodge said edges in said bent wire portions; moving the chain for a short distance in a direction opposite to said one direction so as to place endmost coupling elements of rows of coupling elements on said tape edges closely against said bent wire portions; clamping said bent wire portions onto said tape edges in close proximity to said endmost coupling elements; releasing the clamped wire portions and repeating the above steps. 

1. Automatic top stop attaching machine for attaching two top stops to each of successive portions of a continuous slide fastener chain which comprises two tapes, bottom stops, connectingg the two tapes at longitudinally spaced portions to each other, rows of interengaging coupling elements provided on facing edges of the tapes, and a slider on each of the portions for engaging and disengaging the coupling elements and providing between the slider and the following bottom stop a gap in which the tape portions are disconnected from each other, said machine comprising means for feeding the slide fastener chain intermittently in one direction and substantially in one plane to and past a working station; means for feeding two wires from opposite sides to said working station; combined cutting, bending and clamping means at said working station for cutting off portions from the two wires, for bending the cut-off wire portions into substantially U-shaped configuration, for holding the same in a predetermined position and for subsequently clamping the bent wire portions onto edges of said tapes closely adjacent to the coupling elements on one end of the rows of coupling elements; means for reciprocating said combined cutting, bending and clamping means in a direction transverse to said one direction; means for deflecting the tapes in the region of said working station for bringing the facing edges thereof in proper position for clamping the bent wire portions thereon; means for moving the chain longitudinally in a direction opposite to said one direction to bring the coupling elements on said one end of said rows of coupling elements closely adjacent to said bent wire portions before the latter are clamped to the edges of said tapes; and control means for automatically actuating the aforementioned means in pproper sequence.
 2. An automatic top stop machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said combined cutting, bending and clamping means comprise a pair of stationary dies arranged spaced from each other in a direction transverse to the chain feeding direction and having each a cutting edge, punch means movable between said stationary dies and having a pair of cutting edges cooperating with said cutting edges of the die for cutting off a portion of each wire, a retractable anvil between said dies and having a pair of transversely spaced portions projecting in the path of said punch means and cooperating with the latter for bending the cut-off wire portions into U-shaped configuration, and clamping means on said punch means for holding said bent wire portions in fixed position while the chain is moved in said opposite direction, for then clamping the bent wire portions onto said edges of said tapes and for subsequently releasing the clamped wire portions so that the chain may again be fed in said one direction.
 3. An automatic top stop attaching machine as defined in claim 2, wherein said punch means comprises an elongated bar having an upper and a loweR end, means fixedly connected to the bar in the region of the lower end, and a pair of clamping members mounted on said bar transversely spaced from said fixedly connected means and movable toward and away therefrom.
 4. An automatic top stop attaching machine as defined in claim 3, wherein said means fixedly connected to the bar comprises an elongated block extending in the longitudinal direction of the bar and being centrally arranged in the region of the lower end thereof, and wherein said clamping members comprise a pair of clamping levers arranged spaced from and to opposite sides of said block and each connected in the region of its upper end to said bar for pivotable movement about a pivot axis extending normal to said bar and each having at the lower end a cutting edge arranged for cooperation with the cutting edge of the respective stationary die.
 5. An automatic top stop attaching machine as defined in claim 4, and including spring means biasing said clamping levers about the pivot aces thereof in a direction away from said block, stop means on said bar for limiting outward movement of said levers, a cam face on each lever, and cam means arranged for engaging said cam faces after the wire portions have been cut and bent for pivoting said clamping levers, against the force of said spring means, from a cutting position in which side faces of said levers having said cutting edges on the lower ends thereof engaging corresponding side faces of said dies, towards said block to clamp the bent wire portions on the edges of the tapes.
 6. An automatic top stop attaching machine as defined in claim 5, wherein the pivot axes of said two clamping levers are spaced from each other a distance which is smaller than the distance between the cutting edges on said levers in the cutting position thereof.
 7. An automatic top stop attaching machine as defined in claim 4, wherein said retractable anvil is movable between a forward active position and a rearwardly retracted inactive position, and including spring means for yieldably holding said anvil in said active position, and cooperating cam faces on said block and said anvil for moving the latter to said retracted position during downward movement of said punch means.
 8. An automatic top stop attaching machine as defined in claim 1, and including means for moving said deflecting means during reciprocation of said combined cutting, bending and clamping means in a direction opposite thereto.
 9. An automatic top stop attaching machine as defined in claim 4, wherein said deflecting means comprises a second elongated bar extending parallel to said bar of said punch means, and arm projecting from the lower end of said second bar in said one direction, and a pair of upwardly projecting deflecting fingers arranged on said arm in line with said block and spaced from each other in said one direction, each of said deflecting fingers having a bevelled upper face.
 10. An automatic top stop attaching machine as defined in claim 9, and including cooperating means connected to said bars for moving said second bar in upward direction during downward movement of the first mentioned bar and vice versa.
 11. An automatic top stop attaching machine as defined in claim 10, said cooperating means comprising a rack on each bar and a pinion turnable about a fixed axis meshing with the teeth on each rack.
 12. An automatic top stop attaching machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for intermittently feeding said chain in said one direction comprise a pair of rollers arranged to opposite sides of said chain, means for driving one of said rollers, and means for moving the other of said rollers toward and away from said one roller and in and out of engagement with said chain.
 13. An automatic top stop attaching machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for moving said chain in said opposite direction comprises a finger movable into said gap to engage a bottom stop following said gap during feeding of said chaiN in said one direction, and means for moving the finger while in engagement with said bottom stop in said opposite direction so as to move the coupling elements at the ends of the rows of the coupling elements into close proximity to said bent wire portions.
 14. A method of automatically attaching two top stops simultaneously to successive portions of a continuous slide fastener chain comprising the steps of intermittently feeding the chain in one direction to and past a working station; feeding two wires from opposite sides to said working stations; cutting off a portion from each wire and bending the cut-off wire portion into U-shaped configuration; holding each of the bent wire portions in a predetermined position; deflecting the inner edges of two tapes forming the chain so as to lodge said edges in said bent wire portions; moving the chain for a short distance in a direction opposite to said one direction so as to place endmost coupling elements of rows of coupling elements on said tape edges closely against said bent wire portions; clamping said bent wire portions onto said tape edges in close proximity to said endmost coupling elements; releasing the clamped wire portions and repeating the above steps. 